Hell Hath No Fury
by Twilight86x
Summary: There's a new big bad in Mystic Falls terrorizing the inhabitants. They seem to have a particular vendetta against Elena and her friends, but is everything truly as it seems?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is the sequel to my story Mystic Stranger, if you haven't read the first story yet I would recommend you do so before reading this for it to make sense. **

**This story is set in the summer between seasons 2&3 some cannon is mentioned, but as with the first story it may not have happened exactly as it did in the show and I may have changed some stuff to make it fit with my story.**

**The Cover Picture for this fic is the picture I drew of Ella, to give you a sense of what she looked like in the first fic.  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or anything to do with it or the characters. This is purely my own representation of the series.**

**Chapter One**

It had been months since the group had last seen Gabriella D'Angelo their friend and a Fae. In the aftermath of her stepfather's attack emotions had been running high, things had been said and done and Ella, heartbroken, had fled Mystic Falls. In doing so she had left behind the one, and only, person she could ever love, Jeremy Gilbert. They all knew the devastating affect this could have on a Fae and they all feared the worst.

However, life goes on and things happened following that day that had put thoughts of Ella out of all their minds. The arrival of Elijah and Klaus being high on the list. In fact they were all still reeling from Klaus' visit to Mystic Falls. Matt and Sheriff Forbes, Caroline's mother, had found out their secret, Jeremy had been shot and killed then resurrected by Bonnie, Elena and Jeremy's aunt had been turned to a Vampire then murdered by Klaus. Elena's biological father had died to save her and lastly Stefan, in an attempt to save Damon's life, had started drinking human blood again and left with Klaus.

At the start of summer vacation and Elena, Caroline, Bonnie, Matt and Tyler's final summer as High School students, things were looking pretty grim. Jeremy, who had already been depressed after Ella's departure, was even more so now and kept to himself, drawing endlessly. Elena and Damon, with the help of Alaric, had pored long hours into trying to find Stefan. Bonnie was gone for the summer and Caroline and Tyler were easing Matt into the life of knowing about the supernatural.

They were then all surprised when Alaric insisted they attend the summer's founder's ball.

"You're still part of the Founding families and I think it would be good for everyone to get out of the house and think about something else for a while," he argued. "Please guys, for me?"

In the end they'd all agreed to go, even Jeremy. The night of the ball dawned and everyone got dressed up and headed to the Lockwood estate. Damon had insisted on going with Elena, Jeremy and Ric. Since Klaus thought Elena dead and they hoped to keep it that way Damon had become overly protective.

"Smile guys," Alaric instructed when they arrived at the party. "Try and at least pretend you're having a good time."

Elena and Jeremy both grimaced at Alaric before going in search of their friends. Damon looked briefly like he would follow, but then made a beeline for the bar. Alaric was close behind him.

"So," Damon began when he had a drink in his hand. "What are you up to Ric?"

"Nothing," Alaric shrugged innocently. "I thought it would be good for them to get out of the house. Elena's been constantly obsessing over finding Stefan and Jeremy…well he hasn't really been the same since Bonnie brought him back. Plus he still missed Ella and it's not healthy for either of them…or you."

"Me?" Damon asked, his eyes widening in surprise.

"You think I don't know that you've been looking for Ella since she left?" Alaric asked. "You've been tracking both of them, looking for both of them and you're trying to watch Elena at all times too. You're stretching yourself too thin and something's gotta give."

"No, you know I can't. I know what you're thinking Ric; you want me to stop looking for her don't you?" Damon looked disgusted at the very thought.

"Ella chose to leave Damon, it was her decision, she didn't want anyone to look for her. And since you've found nothing in months she definitely doesn't want to be found," Alaric pointed out.

"I don't care," Damon responded through gritted teeth. "Eighteen years Ric, I missed the first eighteen years of her life, I _won't_ miss any more. If I can find her we can be the family we should have been. Everything that happened could have been prevented if I'd just listened to Maria, if I'd believed her and trusted her. My life would have been so different, _I_ would have been different. I have to find my daughter."

Alaric sighed. "I really didn't want to tell you this."

"Tell me what?" Damon asked.

He didn't get an answer; instead Alaric got another drink from the bar and led the way out of the large house and into the grounds. Outside the party continued with lights and people milling around, talking. Ric walked away from the bulk of bodies and out onto the dark grounds towards the lake.

When they finally stopped they were behind a large tree with overhanging branches. The noises of the party had become a gentle hum, Alaric could just make out the people still outside and was confident he would see if someone was coming.

"What's going on Ric?" Damon demanded impatiently. He was glaring at his friend, his fist white knuckled around the glass. "What is so important that you had to drag me off to a dark corner? Not planning to kill me are you?"

Alaric laughed; the sound was a little strained. "If I wanted to kill you Damon you'd be dead already."

"You tried before, didn't work out so well for you," Damon reminded him with a grin.

"I think I'd fair better this time around."

"All right, enough joking. What's going on Ric?" Damon questioned, impatient again.

"I didn't want to tell you this, because I knew you'd go off half cocked and probably get yourself killed," Alaric started. He was pacing now, glancing every so often at the house. "I got the class roster this morning, a list of all the students taking my class in the new semester."

"And this would bother me…why?" Damon asked, confused by the sudden turn the conversation was taking. He glared at Alaric, hoping he'd get to the point. He wanted to check on Elena.

"The list itself wouldn't bother you," Alaric told him. "But there was a name on the list that I hadn't expected."

Damon froze; he didn't speak or look away. His muscles locked into position, waiting for Alaric to tell him what name had been on the list. Knowing already what that name would be.

"There's a chance it was just a mistake," Alaric continued as if trying to convince himself this was the case. "But there's also a chance that it means they're back in Mystic Falls."

Alaric paused, taking a deep breath he faced Damon. Damon knew it was possible Alaric was talking about Stefan, his brother was one with Klaus so Ric wouldn't expect to see his name on the roster. If Stefan was back however that would mean Klaus was too which put Elena in danger.

That would worry Ric, because he was right. Damon would do anything to keep Elena safe and he'd probably get himself killed in the process. For the first time since Stefan left, Damon hoped he hadn't returned. He wanted so badly for it to be a different name.

"Damon," Alaric finally broke the silence. "It was Ella."

**TBC…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"She's here?" Damon asked. Every muscle in his body was screaming at him to run, to find his little girl and never let her go again.

"We don't know that Damon," Alaric answered. "This is why I didn't want to tell you. You can't just run off to look for her Damon. What if she tries to kill you again?"

"She won't," he assured him.

"You don't know that," Alaric argued. "Look, _if_ she really is back then we'll run into her sooner or later, but if she is Damon then why hasn't she been in contact with you or Caroline or Jeremy? The three people she loved most and she doesn't let you know that she's back in Mystic Falls? Something just doesn't feel right Damon. Let me do some digging at the school, see if I can find an address or something to go on."

Damon looked as though he was going to argue, but instead he nodded. "Fine."

"Good," Alaric nodded. "We should get back to the party."

They both made as if to head back toward the house, but a blur of movement at the corner of their eyes made them freeze. Before Alaric could register what was happening there was a loud snap as Damon's head whipped around and then his lifeless body was pitched forward into Alaric. He stumbled under the weight of his friend and toppled backward into the tree, hitting his head on a low hanging branch. Unconsciousness took him before he hit the ground.

*VAMPIRE DIARIES*

Elena had looked all over the party for Damon and Alaric, but hadn't been able to find them. She was beginning to worry now, with everything that had one wrong lately it caused Elena to feel extremely paranoid.

She was terrified that something had happened to them, but she didn't want to worry anyone especially not Jeremy. When she found him standing alone in a small sitting area of the house, Elena's heart broke. He'd lost so much in such a short time and he looked so sad. Elena wished she could somehow make him happy again.

"Jer?" she spoke softly, not wanting to startle him.

"Hey Elena," he greeted her, turning so that he was facing her. He forced a smile onto his face, but Elena knew it wasn't real, she could still see the pain in his eyes. "What's up?"

"Nothing," she answered, hoping that her expression was calm enough not to give her away. "I was just wondering if you've seen Alaric and Damon."

"No," he shook his head. "Why? Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine Jer," Elena assured him.

"You're lying," Jeremy frowned at his sister. He could always tell when she was lying to him. "You're a terrible liar Elena."

"I don't know that there is anything wrong, so don't freak out all right?" Elena waiting for him to agree before continuing. He nodded. "I haven't seen Damon or Ric since we got here and I can't see to find them, I just wanted to know if you'd seen them then I was going to look outside."

Jeremy stayed calmed. "All right. You check outside and I'll look our in here again."

Elena nodded. They left the room together and Elena ducked outside. There were several people milling around the patio, but none of them were who she was looking for. Elena walked to the very edge of the pool of light, squinting out into the darkness.

It was too dark, she couldn't see any movement beyond the patio. With a sigh Elena turned to head back inside when she saw something that made her freeze, or someone was more accurate. Closing her eyes and giving her head a shake to make sure she wasn't dreaming, Elena looked again.

Whoever it was they were gone now, with a frown Elena scanned the faces around her, but it was no good she didn't see them anywhere. Elena was just giving up the search when she heard someone calling her name. Turning she found Caroline a few feet behind her.

"Elena, are you all right?" Caroline asked, her brow furrowed in concern. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I thought I saw…" Elena didn't finish her sentence.

Caroline had tensed suddenly and was staring into the dark distance over Elena's shoulder, her frown deepening. Elena's body stiffened in response to her friend's body language, sensing that there was something wrong.

"What is it?" Elena asked, her voice a strained whisper.

"I smell blood," Caroline explained. She was still staring off into the night. "Wait here, I'll be right back."

Before Elena could protest Caroline was gone. Elena stared after her friend, but couldn't really see anything. Caroline had moved too far and too fast. Luckily for them everyone around had been too involved in their own evening to notice Caroline's speedy exit.

Several minutes passed and Caroline didn't return, Elena was becoming increasingly worried and was just about to go looking for Jeremy and Tyler when they both appeared at her side.

"What's going on?" Jeremy asked. "Did you find them?"

"No," Elena shook her head. "And now Caroline's disappeared as well."

"What do you mean 'Caroline's disappeared'?" Tyler demanded.

"She came over to talk to me," Elena explained to the now worried boyfriend. "But then she said that she smelled blood and disappeared. That was about five minutes ago and she hasn't come back."

Tyler began to speak, but a sudden loud noise drowned him out. The three of them frowned and looked toward the house where loud shouting and whooping noises could be heard over the sound the music blaring through the open windows.

"Is that 'Rock You Like A Hurricane'?" Jeremy asked, recognising the rock song.

"You two go and check that out," Tyler instructed. "I'll go and look for Caroline."

"Be careful," Elena said, pointing in the direction Caroline had disappeared. Tyler nodded and gave her a brief smile before he too was swallowed by the night.

"You don't think its Klaus do you?" Jeremy asked as they pushed their way though the crowd swarming toward the house.

"No," Elena shook her head. "Stefan would have found a way to warn us if Klaus was coming back, plus I get the feeling that if it was him I'd be dead by now, along with everyone else I care about."

"Then what the hell is going on?"

Elena paused, she had a theory, but she was afraid to tell Jeremy. She knew how he'd react to the information, but she also remembered where keeping secrets had gotten them before. If he found out she was keeping things from him again he'd never speak to her again and he was all she had left in the world.

"Jeremy…there's something I have to tell you," she explained as they finally passed over the threshold into the house. "Earlier, when I was looking for Damon and Ric…I think I saw…"

For the second time that night Elena didn't get to finish her sentence. They had just entered the ballroom which was the source of the commotion and what she saw had killed the words in her throat.

Rock music blared from the speakers and there in the middle of the dance floor were the members of the Founder's Council, including Mayor Carol Lockwood and Sheriff Liz Forbes, who also happened to be Caroline and Tyler's mothers.

Liz was straddling a chair backwards, she was leaning back and someone was pouring champagne directly into her mouth from the bottle. Carol on the other hand had torn the skirt of her pretty gown so that it was now a mini dress and was dancing rather inappropriately with a gentleman Elena knew by sight, but did not know his name.

Jeremy swore under his breath at the sight, but Elena was no longer paying attention to the spectacle. She had scanned the faces of the gathering crowd and sound the one person she knew could affect a person's behaviour in this way. The same person she had believed she had seen only minutes before.

"Oh my god."

**TBC…**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"Mom?"

Elena turned to see Caroline standing in the doorway, her eyes wide as she stared at her mother. To Elena's relief Damon, Alaric and Tyler were right behind her. Tyler looked as disgusted as Caroline, Damon seemed to be too angry to be amused and Alaric looked bewildered as he held a tower to his head.

Damon's gaze roved over the crowd until he spotted her and he immediately made his way over to where she stood with Jeremy. As he neared, Elena remembered the person she'd spotted earlier, her head whipped around, scanning the area, but they were gone again. Elena searched all the faces in that area, even standing on her tiptoes to see over the people standing in front of her, but still she couldn't see them.

"Elena?" Jeremy spoke. "Who are you looking for?"

"Um…" Elena hesitated, still searching.

"What's going on?" Damon had joined them now, his hand on Elena's arm.

"I thought…I saw someone," Elena responded. From the corner of her eye she could see that they Mayor and Sheriff had returned to normal and were looking confused and embarrassed. Caroline and Tyler had joined their mothers and both looked upset by whatever they were being told.

"Elena!" Damon exclaimed to get her attention. She stopped searching and faced her friend.

"We need to talk," she informed him. "Now. Jeremy can you get Caroline and Tyler and meet us outside?"

Jeremy hesitated then nodded and disappeared. Damon frowned at Elena for a few moments before leading the way out of the room, beckoning Alaric as he went. The patio was quiet now, everyone was inside witnessing the spectacle that was the Founder's Council.

"So?" Damon demanded, rounding on Elena once they were outside. Alaric looked between them confused, but Elena remained silent, waiting for the others to arrive.

It was only a few minutes before Jeremy arrived with Tyler and Caroline, both of them still visibly upset. The three of them joined the trio already occupying the patio.

"What the hell is going on tonight?" Caroline demanded angrily. "First someone breaks Damon's neck and knocks out Alaric, then our parents start acting like they're high, but have no idea why! It's like they were in a trance or something. Do you think there's a witch here or something?"

"Wait someone attacked you?" Jeremy asked, shocked.

"Yeah," Damon nodded. "We can talk about that later. Elena, what's going on?"

"I don't think that a witch is doing this," Elena told Caroline. She took a deep breath, readying herself to tell them who she thought was behind what had happened, but there was something she needed to know first. She looked at Damon. "When you were attacked, did you see who it was?"

"No," he shook his head. "We were talking and the next thing I knew I was waking up to Caroline's shrill voice."

"It was dark," Alaric contributed. "And whoever it was could really move."

Elena looked thoughtful for a few moments before speaking again. "Who do we know who has the strength to break Damon's neck without being seen and affect the mood's of the people around her making them feel and act like delinquent teenagers?"

"Ella," Jeremy answered, his voice barely above a whisper. Elena looked at her brother and saw the look of mingled hope and fear.

"Yes," Elena nodded, taking his hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I'm pretty sure that I've seen her twice tonight, but she looks so different that I'm not one hundred percent."

"Where was she when you saw her?" Damon wanted to know. He looked as though he was ready to take off at any moment.

"Damon," Alaric said in a warning tone.

"I know what I'm doing Ric," Damon bit back.

Everyone was frowning in confusion over the exchange, everyone except Elena. Alaric placed a restraining hand on Damon's shoulder, holding him in place.

"What are we missing here?" Caroline asked.

"Nothing," Damon snapped at her, but he was glaring over his shoulder at Alaric.

"I think you should tell them," Alaric strongly suggested.

"No."

"Damon, they're going to find out eventually and keeping secrets has never done any of us any good."

"He's right Damon," Elena whispered, not looking at him.

"How do you-?" Damon chocked out, now staring at Elena.

"When you were sick after the werewolf bite, you said some things…about Ella. About how you wished you'd had a chance to tell her before you died and how you wanted to be worthy of her love and forgiveness."

"Love?" Jeremy exploded. He pulled his hand out of Elena's and started toward Damon, his expression furious. "You want her to love you?!"

"It's not what you think!" Elena exclaimed, getting in Jeremy's way.

"She's right Jeremy," Damon sighed in defeat. He could see no way out of this now; his only option was to tell them the truth.

"Then you had better explain what it _is_ like," Jeremy fumed through gritted teeth. Tyler's arms were now locked around the younger man's broad chest, restraining him.

"Ella's my daughter," Damon told them. "_I'm_ the vampire Marcus told her about, I'm her father."

Tyler dropped his arms in shock and Jeremy took the advantage, lunging for Damon. Before anyone could stop him Jeremy had punched Damon in the face. Taken off guard Damon stumbled backward a few steps but he didn't retaliate.

"I deserved that," he shrugged rubbing his jaw. Little Gilbert packed quite a punch, he'd obviously been working out with Alaric.

"You son of a bitch!" Jeremy spat over Alaric's shoulder, Ric was holding him back. "You're the reason that she left! She went to find you! To find out where she came from and how to control herself so that she wouldn't hurt anyone else and you were here the whole time! Do you know what you've done?! Do you even care?"

"You think you're the only one who loved her?" Damon snapped back, his hands balling into fists at his side. "I've been looking for her for months! I've done everything possible, called in every favour I was ever owed to try and find her! She's my daughter Jeremy, I love her more than you could imagine."

Jeremy had calmed now, he'd gone limp in Alaric's arms. "We have to find her."

"We will," Damon promised. He could see that Jeremy was in just as much pain as he was.

"Um…guys?" Caroline cut in. She was looked around them, worried. "We're going to have to find Elena first."

**TBC…**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Elena wasn't sure what had compelled her to follow Ella, but when the other girl had appeared above them, watching their conversation over the railing, Elena went after her. She couldn't explain it, but she felt like there was something wrong with her friend and she needed Elena's help. Of course her other friends would be furious that she had wandered off without a word, but she'd gladly accept their wrath if it meant she could bring Ella back to Jeremy. Elena would do anything to see her brother smile again.

Of course Elena couldn't really trust the feeling. She couldn't be sure if it was a genuine feeling or if Ella was manipulating her, still Elena followed her through the house and out to where all the guest's cars were parked. It was here that Ella stopped and rounded on Elena and Elena could see her friend full on for the first time that night.

It was Ella, but at the same time it wasn't. It wasn't just her physical appearance that was different, although that was a huge difference in itself. Her waist long hair was cut into a choppy bob that fell to her chin and had bright blue streaks broke up the midnight black. Her naturally beautiful face was caked with thick dark make-up and deep, blood red lipstick. She also wore a very clingy red dress that did not leave much to the imagination, her perfectly defined muscles showing through the soft, thin fabric.

No, that wasn't all that had changed. There was something in her eyes, something cold and empty. It was like staring into an abyss, dark and never ending. There may have been physical qualities that were still Ella, but the cold, hard stare was not Ella. Elena couldn't understand it, how she knew this was Ella but at the same time it wasn't.

"Why are you following me?" she demanded, her voice was as hard as her gaze. Not at all the soft sound Elena was used to hearing.

"Why wouldn't I?" Elena asked, surprised by the hostility in her tone. "Ella you've been one for months, we were all worried about you! Damon's been going crazy trying to find you then you just show up and what? Were you going to leave without saying anything? Without even speaking to Damon? Or Caroline? Even Jeremy?"

"Lady…I don't know what you've been smoking, but I think you've got me confused with someone else."

"I don't think so Ella," Elena laughed humourlessly. She didn't know what game Ella was playing, but she didn't like it. "You may have altered your appearance slightly Ella, but I can still see it's obviously you."

"Why do you keep calling me that?" the girl snapped, a frown marring her pretty features. "My name isn't Ella, it's Gaby, I don't know anyone called Ella and I've never gone by that name either. You're drunk and confused, go sleep it off."

"Is this some kind of joke?" Elena asked. "Because if it is it's not funny Ella."

"Wow…you're either really drunk or really dense," Gaby laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. "My. Name. Is. Gaby!"

Elena's heart sank as she stared opened mouthed at the girl standing in front of her. "You…you really don't know me? Do you?"

"No, I really don't," Gaby assured her. "Should I?"

"I…I guess not," Elena whispered, shaking her head.

Gaby's frown changed from one of annoyance to one of concern, her cold hard stare melted into a warm gaze and Elena could suddenly see the girl she had once known staring back at her. "Are you all right? Do you need me to get someone?"

"No," Elena shook her head, still staring wide-eyed at Gaby.

"Are you sure? You don't look so good."

"I'm fine," Elena whispered. She didn't want to believe the words, but she couldn't deny the look on Gaby's face. There was no recollection there at all. She had no idea who Elena was, but Elena knew it was Ella. Something had obviously happened to her friend while she was gone. "Sorry to have bothered you."

Elena turned so quickly that she missed the cruel smile that twisted Gaby's features. The girl was too desperate to find her friends and tell them what she had discovered. That Ella had no idea who they were…who she was.

Pausing at the door, Elena took one last look behind her, but Ella was already gone. Back inside the Lockwood house the party was still in full swing. It was as if nothing had happened and Mayor Lockwood had changed into a new, more appropriate, dress. She was smiling and laughing with Sheriff Forbes as if they'd never done anything embarrassing.

"Elena!" Jeremy's voice cut into Elena's frantic searching for her friend's. She turned to find her brother, looking livid, bearing down on her. "What the hell Elena? What were you thinking? Where have you been?!"

"I found Ella," Elena explained. "I found her Jeremy, she really is back."

"What?!" Jeremy exploded, he started scanning the area over Elena's head, looking for any sign of the girl he loved. "Where is she?"

"She's gone Jer," Elena sighed. "Jeremy...there's something you should know…"

"What?" he asked, her sad tone catching his full attention.

"Ella…she's not…Ella anymore. She said her name was Gaby and she had no idea who I was Jer. At first I thought she was lying, playing some twisted game, but she didn't have a clue. I could see it in her eyes. She's completely different now."

"She has amnesia?" Jeremy inquired, his voice hollow.

"Maybe," Elena shrugged, taking her brother's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I don't know for sure, she was gone for months. Anything could have happened to her. We should find the others. There's got to be something that we can do to save her, to get her back."

Jeremy nodded numbly, allowing Elena to drag him along behind her. He was too busy thinking to notice where they were going. _Was the girl he loved truly gone for good?_

**TBC…**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Gabriella D'Angelo entered the small, rather run down apartment where she was staying. She hated the dingy little place, but it was close to her new job and she had a great view of the town square.

"Gaby? That you?" a voice called from one of the bedrooms.

"Who else would it be doofus?" Gaby snapped, rolling her eyes in her usual way.

She looked up as a short, weedy man exited the bedroom to the left. He was naked except for a towel wrapped around his waist. Gaby rolled her eyes again as she dropped down onto the sofa.

"Do you mind?" she growled, gesturing toward his bare chest and towel.

"Not in the least," he grinned, plopping down into the armchair across from Gaby. He sat low in the chair, his legs draped over the arm of it.

"Well _I_ do," she snapped at him. "Could you please go and put some clothes on?"

"You know you want me," he winked at her.

"You are so _not_ my type Patrick," Gaby responded, letting disgust colour her tone.

"Oh really?" Patrick enquired with a sly smile. "Then what _is_ your type? Klaus?"

"Klaus?" Gaby laughed. "You think I'm attracted to Klaus? _Please_! I'll admit that he holds a certain bad boy charm, but he isn't my type either. Klaus is just a friend, a very good friend, but still just a friend."

"Uh huh, and all that time you spent with him…"

"Klaus was only interested in me because I'm a hybrid like him. And…" she trailed off, frowning.

"And?" Patrick pressed.

"I…don't remember…"

"So what _is_ your type then?" Patrick asked, changing the subject. He was suddenly feeling a little antsy, but Gaby was too tired to argue.

Instead she thought about her type for a moment. There was one person who came to mind, but he wasn't a real person. For the past few weeks she had been dreaming about a man, the same one every night. The picture was indistinct and she couldn't see his face clearly. It was blurry, as if she needed glasses to bring it in to focus.

"Tall," she finally answered, picturing the image in her mind's eye. "Dark hair, muscular build, but not overly so, warm brown eyes, artistic and maybe a little broody."

Patrick did not look happy at this description. Gaby thought he was probably just jealous because the description was the complete opposite to him. Patrick was a few inches taller than Gaby, but he wasn't tall, he had blonde hair and watery blue eyes and was very thin and weedy.

"That was awfully specific," he said after a few moments of silence. "Thinking of anyone in particular?"

"Nope," Gaby shook her head.

"So, how was the party?" he asked, changing the subject again.

"It was fine, I took out Salvatore without being seen, Saltzman too. Then I managed to affect the Founder's Council and only them. Looks like the training has paid off. I can control and pinpoint who I can affect instead of the whole room."

"Good," Patrick nodded thoughtfully. "Any complications?"

Gaby hesitated for a split second. "No."

"You're lying," Patrick frowned at her, sitting forward in his seat. "For someone who can tell when someone's lying you're not very good at it Gaby. So what happened?"

"Nothing of importance," Gaby shrugged. "I met the doppelganger, it was a little eerie. She looks exactly like Katherine it's scary."

"When you say met…?"

"She thought I was someone else."

"Who did she think you were?" Patrick question, his curious expression a little too innocent.

"Someone named Ella," Gaby told him, not sure why he was so interested. "It's no big deal Patrick; I've obviously never met her before. It was dark and she'd probably been drinking at the party."

"Yeah," Patrick nodded absently. "Well I'm going to bed. Good night Gaby."

"Night," she called after him as he got up and went back to his room.

She stared at his door for a few moments, not able to understand why he was so bothered by a simple case of mistake identity. It's not like it hurt anyone, yes they had a job to complete and they were to try and make as little contact as possible. When Gaby started her new job in a few days it would be difficult to avoid them all together. Not to mention it was a small town, you couldn't avoid anyone in a small town.

Shaking her head, Gaby got to her feet and went to her own bedroom. As she passed Patrick's door she thought she heard whispering coming from the room, but she was too tired to pay attention. It had been a long day and all Gaby wanted now was a shower and her bed. She'd grill Patrick about his reaction in the morning…if she remembered to ask him.

**TBC…**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

It was nearly a week before any of them saw Ella again; Jeremy had started to believe that she had left Mystic Falls again. They had all looked everywhere and if Alaric had found an address listed at the school he didn't tell them. It didn't surprise Jeremy; Alaric believed they should leave Ella alone, he didn't trust her and the so-called amnesia. He believed that Ella had returned to Mystic Falls to seek revenge on Damon for killing her father.

They had all agreed that if Ella was in fact in Mystic Falls they would all be on their guard around her. There was no way of knowing why she had returned and what kind of threat her memory loss posed on them. Jeremy had agreed to keep them happy, but if Ella was in fact here there was no way he was going to stay away from her.

He knew that the might not remember him, not consciously anyway, but he'd been doing some research and her memories had to be in there somewhere. Maybe she just needed to be reminded of her life before, her life with him. He loved her and he wasn't about to give up until she remembered that she loved him too.

It was a Saturday when Jeremy saw her for himself. He had just arrived at the Grill to start his afternoon shift, as he entered the building he saw Matt talking to one of the waitresses. The girl was standing with her back to Jeremy, but he knew that she must have been new. It wasn't the girl that alerted Jeremy to the fact that something was wrong; it was the look on Matt's face.

His friend looked completely dumbstruck, it not a little terrified. Worried, Jeremy hurried over to his friend and froze in his tracks still several feet away. Matt had looked over the girl's shoulder and the girl turned to see what he was looking at. When her eyes locked with Jeremy's the girl's mouth dropped open slightly.

"Ella?" Jeremy asked, his voice rough with unexpressed emotion.

"Jer," Matt spoke as Jeremy and Ella gawped at each other. "This is Gaby, she just moved her. Gaby this is my friend Jeremy Gilbert."

"It's…it's nice to meet you Jeremy," Gaby finally composed herself, forcing a smile. Jeremy couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw a glimmer of recognition in her eyes as she said his name, but then it might have been his own hope tricking him into thinking he could be the one to unlock her lost memories.

"You too Gaby," Jeremy finally answered after swallowing around the lump in his throat.

"Well," Gaby said abruptly, turning back to Matt. "It was nice talking to you Matt, but I should really get back to work. I don't want to get in trouble on my first day."

Her smile was forced as she spoke, and she walked away without speaking to Jeremy again. In fact she didn't even glance in his direction as she walked away to a table that a young couple had just occupied. Jeremy turned to Matt, his own shock reflected in his friend's eyes.

"That was surreal," Matt breathed under his breath. "She literally had no idea who I was, I almost had a heart attack when I first saw her this morning."

"It can't be a coincidence, can it?" Jeremy asked urgently. "That she got a job in the same place as me I mean. Did you see the look on her face when she saw me?"

"Yeah, there was definitely something there. Do you think Ric's right? That the whole memory loss thing is an act and she's really here for revenge? Maybe because of the weird connection between the two of you she couldn't completely hide her true memory?"

Jeremy looked over to where Gaby was talking to the couple and writing down their drinks order. "I don't know," he finally answered. "I can't really explain it, but that was Ella. Something definitely happened to her while she was gone. What I do know though is that I won't stop trying to bring her memory back. Ella is in there somewhere, I just know it."

"Jer," Matt said in a warning tone. "We all agreed to try and keep our distance, at least until we know why she's here."

"Not exactly an easy task when we work together," Jeremy pointed out. "Don't worry, not matter who she is, Ella won't hurt me."

"You said yourself that she's not Ella. You have no idea what this personality is capable of, what memories have taken the place of her old ones."

"You're starting to sound like Ric," Jeremy growled. He still hadn't taken his eyes off Gaby.

"We just don't want you to get hurt Jeremy," Matt soothed, clapping a hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"Too late for that," Jeremy whispered.

"Jer…"

"Forget it Matt," Jeremy snapped, shrugging off his friend's hand. "It's not open for discussion. I _will_ bring Ella back, even if I had to die doing it."

"And how do you think Ella will react if you get yourself killed? Do you think she'd be able to live with that? Especially if she's the one who kills you…again?"

"It doesn't matter as long as she's Ella again. Anyway if she kills me then my ring will bring me back."

"You know Jer you never struck me as the romantic type, yet here you are ready to risk your life for the girl you love."

Finally tearing his eyes from Gaby, Jeremy turned back to Matt. He'd never thought of himself as overly romantic either, but he'd do anything for Ella, especially if it meant keeping her safe. He loved her; there was no other choice for him. He _had_ to bring her back; he _had_ to be with her. They needed each other, that much he knew.

"I'll do whatever I can to help you Jer," Matt told him. "We'll get Ella back."

**TBC…**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

That night Gaby's dreams were plagued by visions of Jeremy Gilbert. She woke several times during the night in a cold sweat, her hair and pyjama's plastered to damp skin. Her breath came out in gasps and her heart pounded rapidly in her chest as images from her dreams ran through her mind.

It was a jumble and nothing made sense, but it was incredibly intense. She didn't know Jeremy from Adam, but here she was having dreams of him. She could feel his skin under her hands; feel how strong his muscles were. She could feel how soft his lips were against her heated flesh as he moved down her neck.

That wasn't everything; she could hear him as he whispered loving words against her hair and his strong arms wrapped gently around her, holding him to her. In the dream she had wanted to stay in his arms forever, she had felt safe and loved and she had never wanted to leave him.

Slowly, Gaby climbed out of bed. She felt confused and scared. She was scared because the dream had felt more like a memory, but she was one hundred percent sure that she had never met Jeremy Gilbert before in her entire life.

"Gaby?" Patrick's voice called through her bedroom door. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she called back, her voice was hoarse.

"Are you sure? I heard you moaning."

"I…I was just…dreaming," Gaby told him as she changing out of her damp pyjamas and into her running gear.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Gaby walked over to the door and pulled it open. Patrick was leaning against the wall; Gaby ignored him, walking past him into the kitchen. She pulled a bottled water out of the fridge and took a swig before turning back to Patrick.

"No," she told him. "I don't really want to talk about it."

"Something's bothering you," he argued. "And you of all people should know what bottling things up can do to a person's emotions."

Gaby looked down at the bottle in her hands. She knew that she couldn't really trust Patrick, but she had no other choice. He was the only person here who she could talk to about what was wrong with her, she couldn't very well go to Jeremy Gilbert, he was part of the enemy and he'd probably think she was insane. And who knew maybe she was crazy.

"Have…" she started, still staring at the bottle. It would be a lot easier to ask if she didn't look at him. "Have I ever been to Mystic Falls before?"

Patrick was quiet for a beat before answering. "Not that I know of," he told her. "Why?"

"I…I don't know." Gaby shrugged. "I had a dream, it felt like I'd been here already but I just couldn't remember. It was like a memory instead of a dream, something that my subconscious was trying to get me to remember."

"It was just a dream Gaby," Patrick assured her, but Gaby knew. He was lying; she could feel it emanating from him like a pulse. He was nervous and afraid and he was lying.

"Yeah," Gaby nodded. "You're right. Well I won't be getting back to sleep anytime soon so I'm going to go for a run before work. I'll see you in a bit."

Gaby forced a smile before setting down her bottle and leaving the apartment. She loved to run, it was the only time she could switch everything else off and really just be herself. There was something about the slow pulse of jogging at human speed that soothed her, but not today.

Today Gaby was too tense for the relaxing effects of the run; there was too much running through her mind. At the forefront was Jeremy, she had thought that it was impossible for her to remember him when she'd never met him. Now she thought that maybe her memory wasn't a reliable source of information.

Patrick had lied to her about never having been in Mystic Falls and if she _had_ been here before then it was entirely plausible that she had met Jeremy before as well. If that were true of course then why couldn't she remember? And if she couldn't remember Jeremy, what else was she forgetting?

It hit her then, the memory of her first night in Mystic Falls, the founders party she had crashed to test her abilities and stealth. Elena had mistaken her for someone called Ella, which of course was another nickname for Gabriella. Was it possible? Had Gaby at one time or another been this Ella person? Had she been connected to Jeremy in someway?

There was only one person she could think of that might tell her the truth and before Gaby knew it she had stopped at her unconscious destination. Looking up, she took in the sight of the white house with front porch. It was now or never, if she wanted answers all she had to do was walk up the path and knock on the front door. Or she could turn around and go back to her apartment, forget everything she believed she'd discovered and return to her mission.

Gaby knew what she had to do; there was really no other choice. She needed answers; she needed to know who she really was. She'd been sent to Mystic Falls to seek revenge for the death of her father, but she could no longer trust her own memories. If there was a chance that she had been misled she had to know now before she hurt someone, someone innocent.

Squaring her shoulders, Gaby marched up the path and knocked on the front door. She didn't care what time it was or that she might wake someone. If she didn't ask the questions now it might give whoever changed her memory an opportunity to change it again. It was a few minutes before someone answered and it wasn't who she expected.

A bleary eyed man, who had obviously done some heavy drinking the night before, answered the door wearing a ratty t-shirt and boxers. His heavy eyes widened at the sight of her on his doorstep and he swore under his breath, this obviously wasn't a welcome visit. Gaby remembered him as the man she had knocked out when she had snapped the Salvatore brother's neck. His name was Alaric Saltzman, he was a teacher and Elena and Jeremy's guardian.

"Do you know me?" she heard herself ask the man before she knew what she was doing.

"You're Gaby, right? You just started working at the Grill."

"Right," Gaby nodded, feeling her shoulders slump in disappointment.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes," Gaby nodded. "Is Elena here?"

"Gaby?"

Gaby looked over Alaric's shoulder to see Elena standing on the stairs behind him. She was wearing her pyjamas, her long brown hair pulled into a clumsy knot and her eyes still heavy with sleep. The doppelganger looked as confused as Alaric to see her there so early in the morning.

"Elena," Gaby breathed in relief, she stepped past Alaric and into the house without waiting for an invitation. "I need your help."

"_My_ help? Why, what's wrong?" Elena asked, even more confused than before.

"At the Founder's party, you called me Ella. I need to know why you called me that. Have I been in Mystic Falls before?"

Elena studied Gaby for a long moment before looking to Alaric. Gaby didn't know what she saw when she looked at the man, because she never looked away from Elena. Finally Elena looked back at Gaby, she looked sad.

"Yes," Elena nodded. "You've been here before Ella."

**TBC…**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Elena had thought it best to talk to Gaby away from Jeremy, she didn't want her brother waking up while Gaby was there and confusing her more. Her old friend looked confused enough as it was as they walked down the street together. It was only five-thirty in the morning so it was still quiet out.

Gaby hadn't really said much, Elena knew that she was probably trying to work things out in her head before speaking. They had walked almost half a mile before Gaby even looked at Elena, but finally she stopped and turned to face the other girl. Her brown eyes were wide with something almost like fear and she kept nervously tucking the same strand of hair behind her ear.

"Are you all right?" Elena asked, knowing it was a stupid question, but becoming increasingly uncomfortable by the silence.

Gaby laughed humourlessly. "Not really. I remember everything about my life, but ever since arriving in Mystic Falls I feel like something's missing. I feel like there's something that I can't remember, as if it's sitting just out of my reach. Your brother for instance."

"Jeremy?"

"Yes, I met him yesterday at work. I just started working at the grill."

Elena nodded. "Yeah, he told me that."

"Well…when I first saw him…I felt like I knew him. I can't remember ever meeting him before Elena, but I felt like I'd finally found something I'd been looking for. Then there were the dreams, but they weren't just dreams. It was like my subconscious was remembering what I couldn't. Elena, please…you have to tell me what's going on?"

"Why come to me?" Elena wanted to know before telling Gaby anything. They had drifted over to a nearby park bench now and were sitting turned toward one another.

"You called me Ella, and I…I feel…like I can…trust you."

"You can," Elena assured her with a gentle smile. "You're my friend, at least you _were_ my friend."

"Tell me everything…please."

"You came to Mystic Falls about 9 months ago, from your first day here you were friends with Caroline Forbes, one of my best friends. She introduced you to all of our friends and it felt like you'd been one of us for years. You were closest to Caroline and to Damon as well."

"Salvatore?" Gaby interrupted, her eyes widening in shock.

"Yes," Elena nodded. "He and Caroline were your best friends Gaby. You told Damon everything, he was the one to help you to control your empathy. He also told you about a Fae's ability to imprint."

"So you all knew what I was?" Gaby asked, her voice low.

"Yes," Elena nodded. "We had no secrets from each other Gaby."

They were silent for a few moments while Gaby processed what Elena had told her so far. Elena was watching a bird digging about on the grass, probably looking for worms. She jumped about a foot in the air suddenly when Gaby gasped and grabbed her arm in a death grip.

"Oh my god," Gaby exclaimed. Her face was devoid of colour and her eyes were wide and round. "You said that Damon told me about Fae imprinting…I…I imprinted on Jeremy…didn't I?"

Elena nodded. "Yes, you were in love. For a while you thought it would be best to distance yourself from Jeremy, to give him a choice. It didn't really work out well for either of you, you needed each other, it was painful for you to be apart from one another, especially you."

"Yeah, I can imagine it would have been. When a Fae is apart from the person they love for an extended period of time or if the object of their affection leaves them or dies it changes the Fae. They become cold and emotionless, like an empty shell. They become what's known as a Fury."

"Are you…?"

Gaby smiled. "No, I'm not a Fury. I'm still a Fae, just not as pure as one should be. I've done some pretty terrible things in my life, or at least I think I have. I'm not really sure anymore to be honest. From what you've told me I can't really trust my own memories. Why did I leave Mystic Falls? It sounds like I had a pretty good life here."

"You found out some information that freaked you out, then some events unfolded that made you feel worse. You couldn't really face being here and so you left to clear your head and think about what you wanted to do next," Elena explained. "That was six months; the hardest months that I've ever seen my brother live through. He's missed you so much."

"No he hasn't," Gaby shook her head. "I understand what you're telling me Elena, the person I was before. But I'm not Ella anymore, I don't remember her, she's gone and I'm not sure if she'll ever be able to come back."

"So what now?" Elena asked after another few minutes of contemplative silence.

Gaby shrugged. "I have no idea. I was sent here to do something, but I can't trust the reasoning behind that anymore. I can't trust that it's the right thing to do, not that it ever was the right thing to begin with."

"What were you sent to do?" Elena asked.

It was a long moment before Gaby answered the question. She stared at her hands, thinking about whether or not to be truthful with Elena. The doppelganger had been truthful with her, she had felt it while they talked. Everything Elena had told her was true, she had in fact been this Ella person and been in love with Jeremy Gilbert, she might even _still_ be in love with him. It was only fair that Gaby be honest in return, she may even help Elena.

"I was sent here to…kill Damon Salvatore," Gaby final spoke. Her voice was a faint whispered and Elena had to strain to hear her. "But first I was suppose to take away the one thing that Damon loved the most…to make him suffer…"

"What?" Elena gasped, jumping to her feet. Gaby followed her and they stood facing each other.

"I'm supposed to kill _you_ Elena. That was what I was sent here to do."

**TBC…**


End file.
